How Can You Prevent Frozen Pipes This Winter?

Discussing frozen pipes during this fickle weather period may seem silly; however, there’s no denying that winter is on its way. When it does hit, you certainly don’t want to be surprised by a plumbing emergency brought on by frozen pipes.

Frozen and burst pipes are among the most popular emergency plumbing calls that we receive during the winter season. We’re happy to conduct prompt repairs when needed, but we understand it’s much more convenient to prevent this problem from occurring at all in the first place. So what can you do now to avoid this issue?

Winterize Your Outdoor Plumbing

Naturally, outdoor plumbing systems usually suffer the most from cold weather. You aren’t going to need to use your sprinkler system or outdoor faucets before spring—particularly if there is snow on the ground. Therefore, you should turn off water to those lines and open the outlets to drain all of the water out. This will protect your pipes until spring.

Winterize Your Indoor Plumbing

Prepping your indoor plumbing for winter involves a few different steps, all of which we are more than happy to assist you with. Here are a few ways to keep your indoor plumbing safe as colder weather slowly approaches:

Have plumbing insulation added of your pipes that serve as trouble spots, such as in outside walls or running through a part of your home that doesn’t receive much heat (like a basement).

Seal cracks around holes in the wall where your piping emerges. These spaces are prone to air leaks and can make nearby pipes extremely cold. Fill these spaces with insulation, and then use caulking to properly seal the empty spots around the pipes.

On particularly cold nights, you may consider running a trickle of water from your outlets. While we would never recommend doing this on a regular basis due to the cost of running your water, running water does help prevent your pipes from freezing, and therefore could be worth considering if you have piping that you are particularly concerned about.